Mosseri Compares Instagram Usage to Netflix Binge-Watching in Court Testimony: Report
Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah Brett Tolman discusses Big Tech in court over claims social media is addictive on ‘The Bottom Line.’
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri recently addressed allegations regarding the platform’s addictive nature during a high-profile Los Angeles trial. He argued that using Instagram is more akin to binge-watching Netflix than experiencing a clinical addiction.
Since taking the helm of Instagram in 2018, Mosseri has emphasized the need to differentiate between clinical addiction and what he terms “problematic use.” According to a report from the New York Post, he stated, “I think it’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use. I’m sure I said that I’ve been addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night, but I don’t think it’s the same thing as clinical addiction.”
Mosseri’s testimony is part of a lawsuit filed by a California woman who claims she began using Instagram at the age of 9 and later faced challenges with depression and body dysmorphia.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri reportedly compared platform use to binge-watching Netflix in court. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The plaintiff is suing Meta and Google’s YouTube, claiming that both companies knowingly engaged young users while being aware of potential mental health risks, as reported by Reuters.
In the coming weeks, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify.
This case is seen as a critical test of federal legal protections that currently shield social media companies from liability regarding user-generated content. The outcome could set a precedent for numerous similar lawsuits across the nation, according to Reuters.
Mosseri faced tough questions about Instagram’s beauty filters and their potential to promote unrealistic beauty standards, as highlighted by The New York Post.
“I’m sure I said that I’ve been addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night,” Mosseri said, “but I don’t think it’s the same thing as clinical addiction.” (Mona Edwards/Reuters / Reuters)
“There’s always a trade-off between safety and speech,” Mosseri explained. “We’re trying to be as safe as possible and censor as little as possible.”
During the trial, emails from 2019 were presented, revealing discussions about whether to lift a ban on filters that imitate plastic surgery. Instagram’s policy, communications, and well-being teams advocated for maintaining the ban, as reported by Reuters.
However, both Mosseri and Zuckerberg supported the idea of restoring the filters but suggested removing them from recommendations. This option was described internally as posing a “notable well-being risk” while limiting the impact on growth, according to Reuters.
META RESEARCHER WARNED OF 500K CHILD EXPLOITATION CASES DAILY ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PLATFORMS
The case is widely viewed as a test of protections shielding social media companies from user-generated content-related lawsuits. (Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“I was trying to balance all the different considerations,” Mosseri remarked.
Meta has stated that the central question in this case is whether Instagram significantly contributed to the plaintiff’s mental health struggles.
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A Meta spokesperson commented, “The evidence will show she faced many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media.” Meta has not yet responded to FOX Business’ request for further comment.
Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah Brett Tolman discusses Big Tech in court over claims social media is addictive on ‘The Bottom Line.’
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri recently addressed allegations regarding the platform’s addictive nature during a high-profile Los Angeles trial. He argued that using Instagram is more akin to binge-watching Netflix than experiencing a clinical addiction.
Since taking the helm of Instagram in 2018, Mosseri has emphasized the need to differentiate between clinical addiction and what he terms “problematic use.” According to a report from the New York Post, he stated, “I think it’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use. I’m sure I said that I’ve been addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night, but I don’t think it’s the same thing as clinical addiction.”
Mosseri’s testimony is part of a lawsuit filed by a California woman who claims she began using Instagram at the age of 9 and later faced challenges with depression and body dysmorphia.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri reportedly compared platform use to binge-watching Netflix in court. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The plaintiff is suing Meta and Google’s YouTube, claiming that both companies knowingly engaged young users while being aware of potential mental health risks, as reported by Reuters.
In the coming weeks, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify.
This case is seen as a critical test of federal legal protections that currently shield social media companies from liability regarding user-generated content. The outcome could set a precedent for numerous similar lawsuits across the nation, according to Reuters.
Mosseri faced tough questions about Instagram’s beauty filters and their potential to promote unrealistic beauty standards, as highlighted by The New York Post.
“I’m sure I said that I’ve been addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night,” Mosseri said, “but I don’t think it’s the same thing as clinical addiction.” (Mona Edwards/Reuters / Reuters)
“There’s always a trade-off between safety and speech,” Mosseri explained. “We’re trying to be as safe as possible and censor as little as possible.”
During the trial, emails from 2019 were presented, revealing discussions about whether to lift a ban on filters that imitate plastic surgery. Instagram’s policy, communications, and well-being teams advocated for maintaining the ban, as reported by Reuters.
However, both Mosseri and Zuckerberg supported the idea of restoring the filters but suggested removing them from recommendations. This option was described internally as posing a “notable well-being risk” while limiting the impact on growth, according to Reuters.
META RESEARCHER WARNED OF 500K CHILD EXPLOITATION CASES DAILY ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PLATFORMS
The case is widely viewed as a test of protections shielding social media companies from user-generated content-related lawsuits. (Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“I was trying to balance all the different considerations,” Mosseri remarked.
Meta has stated that the central question in this case is whether Instagram significantly contributed to the plaintiff’s mental health struggles.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
A Meta spokesperson commented, “The evidence will show she faced many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media.” Meta has not yet responded to FOX Business’ request for further comment.
